NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has expressed support for Türkiye’s participation in the European Union’s newly established defense financing program SAFE, according to a report by the Greek daily Kathimerini.

Citing European sources, the paper said Rutte made the remarks during a meeting with EU ambassadors last Thursday, shortly after the European Commission confirmed Türkiye’s application to join the scheme.

Rutte stressed that closer EU-Türkiye cooperation is essential for strengthening NATO and suggested that Türkiye’s participation in SAFE could ease its longstanding concerns over sharing sensitive NATO-EU information. He also urged EU members to acknowledge Türkiye’s military capabilities and respond with a gesture of goodwill.

The SAFE initiative, adopted by EU leaders in May, is designed to accelerate defense procurement through competitively priced, long-term loans. It is part of the European Commission’s ReArm Europe Plan, also known as Readiness 2030, which aims to mobilize over €800 billion in defense spending.

Although the loan component is reserved for EU member states, Ukraine and EEA-EFTA countries are eligible to take part in joint procurement under the program.

Greece has been the most vocal opponent of Türkiye’s involvement in SAFE.